Reno, Nevada. Sept. 25, 2013. Washoe County Senior Services will introduce the Veterans in Need of Service Project Tuesday, Oct. 1 with a special ceremony at the Washoe County Senior Center in Reno.

The mission of the Veterans in Need of Services Project is to provide every veteran with the help they need to access the benefits and assistance they earned through their service to our country. The project goal is to help at least 300 veterans before the end of the year, as well as informing their spouses, dependents and caregivers about the available services.

“Many veterans return to civilian life only to find that accessing the services they earned is harder than expected,” said Grady Tarbutton, Washoe County Senior Services Director and the project director. “As veterans get older and their health changes, there are services that they qualify for that they may be unaware of, so we’re offering additional help to those deserving servicemen and women, their families, dependents and caregivers. We help any veteran, regardless of age.”

Veterans can sign up for the program at the Washoe County Senior Center, 1155 East Ninth Street, in Reno, call Senior Services at (775) 328-2575, or go online to www.veteransdayeveryday.com to get the application information.

Federal, state, and local veteran services advocates and government officials are scheduled to attend the Oct. 1 ceremony including: Washoe County Vice Chair Bonnie Weber and Commissioners Kitty Jung and Vaughn Hartung, Lt. Col. Jo Meacham of the Nevada Air Guard, representatives of the David Drakulich Art Foundation for Freedom of Expression and the Nevada Combat Paper Project, and representatives of U.S. Senators Harry Reid and Dean Heller.

“Some people think that benefits are only available for war-time service and only for injuries and disabilities, and that’s simply not the case,” added Tarbutton. “Our well- trained and experienced staff provides them with education on possible benefits. They may learn that their spouses, aides, and attendants may also be included.”

According to Tarbutton, the program helps streamline access to services with program staff who work with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the Veterans Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Nevada Office of Veterans Services and Nevada Medicaid. The project is funded by the Nevada Aging and Disabilities Services Division by a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living.

More information about the Veterans in Need of Service Project can be found at www.veteransdayeveryday.com. The event is free and open to the public.